New map shows locations of more than 500 murals across the Houston area

HOUSTON - A mural called “Growing a Brighter Tomorrow” by Canadian artist Denial sits tucked away on the side of a Salvation Army Thrift Store on Bissonnet St in southwest Houston. It’s miles from the clusters of murals many Houstonians know about inside the loop, but it is getting a spotlight on Houstonmuralmap.com.

The new website just launched in mid-July. It lists more than 500 murals across the Houston area and includes photos and additional information on the artists who created them.

According to creators, the directory is growing daily.

“I enlisted a friend and a fellow art lover Alex Barber, who's also a website developer,” says Elia Quiles of UP Art Studio. “He helped me with the back end, I gather data, and we work closely to have features that we thought would be useful for people who would be viewing the website.”

Quiles received a grant for a digital art activity through the Houston Arts Alliance. She says she and her partner have worked around the clock for three weeks to get the site up and running.

Provided information comes from a network of artists, community partners, and anyone who would like to contribute as a volunteer mural hunter.

Other forms of street art are also featured, including more than 250 mini murals that can be found on traffic signal control cabinets.

Quiles says since the launch, she’s been most excited to see thousands of users on the site and comments on social media about how helpful it is. She also says looking for murals is a perfect activity for this time of social distancing.

“You still have to wear a mask, but you probably wouldn't encounter as many people as you would say, going to a restaurant or something like that,” she explains. “You could just drive by the sites, you don't necessarily have to get out, and also since it’s online, you can take a look at the website and look at the different areas of town. There's a lot of options for how you can tour the murals either virtually or in person.”

People can also submit mural locations, and Quiles says they are in need of photos for some of the murals already listed.

Mural hunters can contribute and check out the site at https://houstonmuralmap.com/.